Starting up a Project

The success or failure of most projects is determined by the effort put into the start-up stage. If the stakeholders cannot agree on what will be built, or fail to resource the project adequately it is doomed to fail. Conversely, if they decide what they want, resource it appropriately and give clear directions to the team, the project is almost certain to meet expectations.

The key deliverables of our project start-up product are the Business Plan, Project Plan and Stage Plan. They will be presented to the Business Owner for review at the end of the Start-up stage so that they can make an informed decision on whether to proceed.

The start-up stage typically takes between 2 weeks and 1 month but our consultant will only be on hire for part of that time. The key elements of the Start-up product are:

Kickoff Workshop

An Initial meeting with the Business Owner to establish goals, constraints and sensitivities.

Discovery Workshop

Brainstorm out everything about the product and its potential futures

Business Plan Workshop

Work with the business owner and their team to create a business plan suitable for driving the project.

Business Product Workshop

create more detailed descriptions of what the project will produce

First Stage Planning Workshop

decide what the first stage will make

Project Planning Workshop

make work estimates and propose resources for the project and first stage

End Stage Review Meeting

Present the Business Plan, Project Plan and Stage Plan to the Business Owner for approval.